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The Role of Intertextuality and Biblical Theology in Guiding the Church and Believers Tracey A. Coleman THEO360: Biblical Theology May 13, 2024

Contents Introduction: What is Intertextuality ......................................................................................... 1 Intertextuality Uses and Functions ............................................................................................... 2 The Connection Between Texts ........................................................................................... 2 Intertextuality Uses in Various Functions ............................................................................ 2 Intertextuality and its Roots in Biblical Theology ................................................................... 3-4 Intertextuality in Scripture ................................................................................................ 3-4 Intertextuality a Means to Understanding the Bible ........................................................... 4 Understanding Intertextuality Through Reading and Practice ............................................... 4 Intertextuality Linked to Literacy ....................................................................................... 4 Biblical Theology through the Lens of Scholars ................................................................. 5 Application in the Life of the Church and Believer ................................................................ 6-7 Intertextuality and Biblical Theology Working Together .................................................. 6 Knowledge of Scripture Strengthens Believers and the Church ..................................... 6-7 Benefits of Utilizing Intertextuality .......................................................................................... 7-8 Understanding the Grand Narrative .................................................................................... 7 Utilizing Intertextuality to Equip Others ......................................................................... 8-9 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................... 9 Bibliography ................................................................................................................................ 10 ii

What Is Intertextuality Intertextuality is a collaborative tool in bible reading and literary work and is not just about showing interrelationships between texts. It significantly enriches the meaning of one text with another through interconnection or related work scripturally and in literary works. In Biblical Theology, intertextuality in scripture plays a pivotal role in showing continuity in the Bible, presenting the Bible as a whole story with different parts. In Biblical Theology in the Life of the Church , Michael Lawrence attests, “Biblical theology helps us establish a better understanding of what the Bible is. When we talk about biblical theology, we mean a theology that not only tries to systematically understand what the Bible teaches but to do so in the context of the Bible’s own progressively revealed and progressively developing storyline.” 1 This emphasis on enhancing scripture underscores the significance and relevance of intertextuality in biblical theology. Thesis Statement This paper aims to define and highlight the use and function of intertextuality within the study of scripture and biblical theology. It examines how a text's interrelationship allows it to incorporate other texts, draw upon those texts' connotations, how texts relate and influence one another, and shape the meaning of another text through continuity in scriptures, prompting new studies and fundamental practices in a digital age. Intertextuality Uses and Functions The Connection Between Texts 1 Michael Lawrence, Biblical Theology in the Life of the Church: A Guide for Ministry, 9Marks (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2010), 26. 1

Intertextuality is the connection or relationship between literary texts and how they are connected, shaped by, and influence one another. In biblical theology, it provides a framework for what is observed in texts, provides a broader understanding, and reveals the relationship between the Old and New Testament scriptures. It also produces narratives and describes the connection between theological discourse and its scriptural referent. In the Brief Overview of Intertextuality article, Mirela Radu attests, “Intertextuality is always general and implicit, coextensive with discourse.” 2 Radu further suggests, “The general intertextuality hypothesis affects all the parameters of literary communication: the figure and identity of the author/sender, the text itself, the reader/receiver, and his/her competencies.” 3 Intertextuality Uses in Various Functions Intertextuality can be used in writing as well as spoken discourse. In biblical theology, the church and believer can be edified through God's spoken word, which can corroborate the written word, making it more absorbable to the listeners. The apostle Paul writes, “Therefore, we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing.” (Acts 15:27, New International Version). According to Jessica Mason in the book Intertextuality in Practice , “data examined, which includes literary and non-literary written texts, transcripts from films and television shows, reader responses gathered both online and from audio transcriptions of spoken interaction, demonstrates the functionality of the framework across a diverse spectrum of discourse." 4 Intertextuality and its Roots in Biblical Theology Intertextuality in Scripture 2 Mirela Radu, “ Brief Overview of Intertextuality .” Euromentor 13 no.3, (2022): 70–80. 3 Ibid., 70-80. 4 Jessica Mason, Intertextuality in Practice , John Benjamins Publishing Company, 2019. ProQuest Ebook Central , http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/liberty/detail.action?docID=5904663, 11. 2

The Scriptures provide evidence of intertextuality, which can be observed throughout the Bible. The tool of Intertextuality is the practice of biblical authors repeating, referring to, or reiterating previous biblical revelation. For example, the Old Testament scripture in Hosea connects with the New Testament scripture in Matthew. “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt, I called my son. (Hosea 11:1). “Where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son” (Matthew 2:15). In connecting biblical texts, Eric Rackley, in Reading for understanding: Methodist youths’ shared Scripture- reading practices , explains the connection between texts, “Clarify the meaning of what they were reading and see larger patterns within and across the Bible, informing their developing sense of scriptural coherence.” 5 Intertextuality a Means to Understanding the Bible Intertextuality is a means of understanding the Bible as a unified, coherent whole and how scriptures relate. The Bible is a vast book written in many languages by several authors, relating to different types of people and cultures over thousands of years. Intertextuality connects the narratives, gospels, letters, poems, songs, laws, and prophecies into one grand story. According to James Hamilton, in, What Is Biblical Theology? A Guide to the Bible’s Story, Symbolism, and Patterns: “We want to understand the organic development of the Bible’s teaching so that we are interpreting particular parts of the story in light of the whole.” 6 Lawrence attests, “In the Bible, we find a divinely inspired text written by human beings at different points of history, which, nonetheless, sustains one overarching narrative that’s 5 Eric, D. Rackley,” Reading for understanding: Methodist youths’ shared Scripture- reading practices .” International Journal of Christianity & Education 22, no. 1, (2018): 39-54. 6 James M. Hamilton Jr., What Is Biblical Theology? A Guide to the Bible’s Story, Symbolism, and Patterns (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2014), 12. 3

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